Signal lantern



March 14, 1944.

R. SHANNON S IGNAL LANTERN Filed March 11, 1942 ROY Ci SHANNON INVENTOR.

Patented Mar. 14, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SIGNAL LANTERN Roy 0. Shannon, Denver, Colo. Application March. 11 1942, Serial-No. 434,194

(Cl. Mil-10.63)

5 Claims.

This invention relates to portable electric signal lights of the type used for railway signalling, and more particularly relates to what is known as the blue light signal lantern.

It is an object of the present invention to-providea two-way blue light lantern that is visible at long distances in night-time operation, and which is capable of continuous operation over relatively long periods.

Another object of the invention is to provide extra lamps in such a lantern and to control the selective use of such lamps so that at least one will always be in condition for use when the lantern is in service.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means to insure a positive focusing action in each operation of the lantern, particularly when a substitute lamp is brought into operation in place of one which has gone dead.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a simple, durable and efficient blue light lantern which is capable of sustained operation over relatively long periods of time.

Other objects reside in novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, all of which will be fully set forth in the course of the following description.

To afford a better understanding of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawing illustrating a typical embodiment of the features of the present invention in a blue light lantern.

In the drawing in the several views of which like parts have been designated similarly,

Figure l is a vertical, central section through a lantern embodying the novel features of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a section taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1; and I Figure 3 is a fragmentary section corresponding to the section of Figure 2 and illustrating the inactive position of the lamps.

As illustrated in the drawing, the lantern comprises a tubular casing 4, the ends of which areclosed by blue ground glass lenses 5 held thereonin any suitable manner such as by threaded clamping rings 6. A strap 1 is fastened on casing 4 and a handle 8 (partially broken away in the drawing) is pivotally attached to said strap to permit the lantern to be swung in the hands of a user. A battery compartment 9 projects downwardly from the central bottom portion of casing 4 and preferably terminates in a flaring bottom it providing a suitable base or pedestal for support of the lantern.

Housed within compartment 9 is a suitable battery 12, preferably a single dry cell' althoughmultiple cell batteries may be used if desired. A strip terminal l3 and a spring terminal M of conventional design are provided to connect the battery I 2 in circuit with one of a series of lamps [5.

The lamps i5 are supported on a plate memher It provided with a series of apertures I? in which the lamps l5 are screwed. The plate It is mounted for lengthwise movement through slots it in opposite Walls of casing 4-, and flanges H3 at the ends of plate H5 limit the degree of its lengthwise movement.

Two plates 20 fixed on the interior wall of casing 4 by welding or in any other suitable manner, terminate in flanges Zl which bear against plate IE to insure positive contact between thebases of lamp l5 and the terminal l4. Addition ally, these flanges 2! are so positioned intermediate the walls of casing 4 that they act as stops to assist the proper positioning of lamps t5 relative to terminal l4.

Provision is made for keeping one of the lamps [5 in continuous service until it fails, and coincidentally keeping the other lamp 55 out of service until such time as its use is required as a replacement. In this way, danger of both lamps going out of service at the same time is almost completely eliminated.

To this end, plate is is provided with threaded apertures 22 positioned outside of casing 4 when the lamps are in an inactive position. A set screw 23 is inserted in one of the apertures 22 and so long as it remains in place, only one of the lamps l5 can be brought into register with terminal 14 as illustrat'edin Figures 2 and 3. At any time such lamp ceases to function, the set screw is removed and plate I 6 can then be movedto a position in which the other of the lamps I5 is brought in register with terminal I 4.

Figure 2 of the drawing illustrates the various operative lamp positions. The dotted line rep resentation is intended to designate the position of a burnt-out lamp after the removal of set screw 23 and movement of plate I6 to bring the second lamp l5 in register with terminal t4. Figure 3 shows each of the lamps l5 in inactive position.

The use of ground glass lens in a desired color, usually blue, permits the use of standard battery lamps in the lantern. One face of each lens 5 is ground or sand blasted to render the surface light diffusing, and the assembly 4, 5, 5 constitutes a Fresnel lens, in effect. The position of such lamps l5 determined by location of plate l6 and stops 2| is predetermined to produce a perfect focus in each actuation of the lamp, and greater visibility at long distances is attained by this arrangement for a given capacity battery than can be attained by using a clear unground lens and colored lamps in a similar arrangement.

The switch operation, in addition to being positive in its circuit-closing function, has the added function of producing the desired focusing for maximum efiiciency. The arrangement of component parts insures an eflicient, allweather lantern. With this arrangement, a two-way lighting effect is attained, which in all respects is as efiicient or more so than the ac-.

tion of conventional lanterns in which separate lamps are employed for each direction of light emission.

While the lantern of the present invention has been designed primarily as a blue light lantern, it will be understood that, if desired, the device can be employed as a clear light lantern or a red light lantern by substituting clear lens or red lens for the blue lens 5 hereinbefore described.

Changes and modifications may be availed of within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the hereunto appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A signal lantern comprising an open-ended casing, a colored ground glass lens mounted in closing relation to eachend of the casing, a battery-containing chamber extending from the casing intermediate said lenses, a lamp-carrier mounted for sliding movement through opposed walls of the casing transversely to its lengthwise axis and having two lamp-receiving sockets, a lamp bulb in each socket, means within the casing cooperating with the carrier to determine a circuit-closing position for each of said lamps, and means, including an abutment, mounted at one end of the carrier in a position to contact the casing during movement of the carrier to limit its movement to one circuit-closing position, said abutment being adapted for interchangeable mounting at opposite ends of the carrier and determining by its location which one of the two lamps may be brought into operative contact with the terminal.

2. An electric signal lantern comprising a lamp casing, inclusive of a battery housing portion, a carrier for a plurality of lamps mounted for manual reciprocating movement in opposed walls of the casing to bring selective lamps into contact with a terminal of the battery, means within the casing limiting the range of reciprocating movement of the carrier and determining the terminal-contacting position of the lamps, and means including mounted at an end of the carrier outside the casing in a. position to contact the casing and limit carrier movement in one direction within said range, thereby permitting only a single lamp to be moved into terminal-contacting position for any given adjustment of said means, said an abutment abutment being adapted for interchangeable mounting at opposite ends of the carrier and determining by its position which one of the lamps may be brought into operative contact with the terminal.

3. An electric signal lantern, including a casing carrying at least one focusing lens, and a plurality of lamp bulbs, only one of which may be lighted at one time and the remainder of which are carried in reserve, comprising a movable metal carrier having threaded sockets for said lamps, a battery housing, a contact extending from said battery housing to be contacted by the extending central contact of a lamp, and a movement-limiting metal member adapted to exert pressure againts said carrier and completing the lamp circuit through said battery housing and said casing and arranged to contact a lamp not in operation to determine the operative position of the lamp whose central contact is connected with said battery.

4. An electricsignal lantern, including an open-ended casing carrying a colored, groundglass, focusing lens at each end of the casing, and a plurality of lamp bulbs, only one of which may be lighted at one time and the remainder of which are carried in reserve, comprising a metal carrier having threaded sockets for said' lamps and mounted for movement transversely of the lengthwise axis of the casing, a battery housing, a contact extending from said batteiy housing to be contacted by the extending central contact of a lamp, and a movement-limiting metal member adapted toexert pressure against said carrier and completing the lamp circuit through said battery housing and said casing and arranged to contact a lamp not in operation to determine the operative position of the lamp whose central contact is connected with said battery.

5. 'An electric signal lantern, including a casing carrying at least one focusing lens, and a plurality of lamp bulbs, only one of which may be lighted at one time and the remainder of which are carried in reserve, comprising a movable metal carrier having threaded sockets for said lamps, a battery housing, a contact extending from said battery housing to be contacted by the extending central contact of a lamp, a movement-limiting metal member adapted to exert pressure against said carrier and completing the lamp circuit through said battery housing and said casing and arranged to contact a lamp not in operation to determine the operative position of the lamp whose central contact is connected with said battery, and means including an abutment mounted at one end of the carrier in a position to contact the casing during movement of the carrier to limit its movement to one circuit-closing position, said abutment being adapted for interchangeable mounting at opposite ends of the carrier and determining by its location which one of the lamps may be brought into engagement with the battery housing contact.

ROY C. SHANNON. 

